Good morning, Church. I would first like to give God the glory; and to also thank all of you gathered to celebrate the life of Patrick Kolubah Manjoe, who transitioned from labor to rest on January 13, 2023. In the Holy Bible, the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 verses 1-2 states the following: “To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.”
By Gabriel I.H. Williams, Friend and Colleague
One night about a week before last Christmas, I got a call from Patrick’s darling wife, Mrs.
Gwendolyn Manjoe, which left me shaken and sleepless for most of that night. She told me that Patrick’s health had deteriorated very seriously, and he was hospitalized. She also said one of the reasons for calling was to let me know that Patrick had requested that in the event of his passing, he would like me, as well as two other colleagues and friends, to eulogize him.
Keeping in close contact with Gwen during this last period Patrick was hospitalized has given me a bit of an insight into why most people put their terminally ill loved ones in nursing homes, which is largely due to socio-economic reasons.
This is why we give God the glory for Gwen, who has truly exemplified her marital vow which states: “Till death do us part.” Church, I beseech you to join me in applauding Mrs. Gwendolyn Manjoe.
On behalf of my family, we say to Gwen, thank you for being a true example of what it means to uphold a marital vow.
The purpose for this homegoing celebration is to reflect on the life of our dearly departed. Permit me, therefore, to briefly take a measure of the man, Patrick Kolubah Manjoe. Who was Patrick Manjoe?
Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, once wrote: “Well done is better than well said.” This quote reminds me of Patrick, who was also affectionately called Pat.
He was a man who aspired to the highest qualities and to the best of his abilities. He was one of the best broadcast journalists of our time. Because of his deep voice and impressive qualities, Patrick was employed immediately upon graduation from high school by the state-run Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS). Among other examples, he demonstrated his competence at the international level when he underwent training at the headquarters of the Voice of America (VOA) in Washington, D.C.
Upon return home from the United States, Patrick served in various capacities at LBS, including Deputy Director General, before he fled Liberia during the civil war when his life was threatened like many journalists in the country during that period.
It was at LBS that he struck up a special lifelong personal and professional relationship with another iconic broadcast journalist, Cyrus Wleh Badio. Together, they pushed the boundaries of broadcast journalism. They started the first interactive radio talk show, the Cyrus Pat Show, which was one of the most popular radio programs in Liberia before the civil war.
I have known Pat for some forty years since our high school days around 1981 in Monrovia. We got acquainted through a mutual friend, Gabriel Gworlekaju, Jr., who passed away in 2011. The three of us attended different high public schools. Patrick graduated in 1981 from Boatswain High School, while Gab and I graduated from our respective schools in 1982.
We started what became lifelong relationships when we were reporters of School Special, a program aired on LBS. During the program, reporters from various high schools in Monrovia and parts adjacent filed reports from their respective schools.
Gab and Pat were very good friends living in the Logan Town community in Monrovia. They were the founders of “the Voice of We Five.” an amateur broadcasting organization through which they provided colorful commentary on community soccer games, reported the news, among others.
It is very interesting to note that it was through the High School Special program that Patrick and Gwen met and they fell in love. Gwen was a reporter for Wells-Hairston High School.
Cognizant of the reality that a funeral sermon is not for the dead as it is for the living, I will attempt to reflect on some issues of concern to us as a people, as these are issues that also meant so much to Patrick when he was alive.
During the course of his career, Patrick demonstrated a commitment to high standards of professional journalism and democratic governance in our country. Like many well-meaning Liberians, Patrick believed that now is the time to make real the promise of democracy in Liberia.
We believe that Patrick’s primary desire was for the Liberian media to continue to ensure that Liberia’s democracy grows from strength to strength. Needless to say, that a vibrant independent media is a broad reflection of a healthy democracy, which requires active civil participation, open discourse, and valuing of differences.
This is why we are gravely concerned by two major developments unfolding in Liberia: Firstly, the ongoing power struggle within the Press Union of Liberia, which has tarnished the image of the organization at the national and international levels. We call upon the contending parties to seriously consider the greater interest of the PUL and the country as a whole and work towards an amicable solution to their differences. If the Liberian media cannot conduct its own affairs in a transparent and democratic manner, what moral rectitude do you have to hold government officials and other public functionaries accountable?
I make this call as a former leader of the PUL, who was Secretary General when the civil war erupted and then became acting President during the early years of the war. The PUL survived the military regime of the 1980s and the following 14-year civil war because of leaders that rose to the challenges of those days. We endured our share of the abuses journalists suffered during that period of unprecedented violence and bloodshed in Liberia, but the Press Union remained a force for good during that evil period.
This is why I call on those involved in the ongoing leadership dispute that now is your time to ensure that the PUL remains active and credible in order to serve the common good of our country.
Secondly, as journalists, our role as the watchdog of society is to raise alarm when danger is pending. Accordingly, the recent seizure by the Liberia National Police of about 450 military weapons when the presidential election is months away, is a cause for grave concern.
The weapon seizure followed pronouncements by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia that certain individuals had contacted him to overthrow the democratically elected government of President George Weah, while the President was out of the country.
Liberia’s constitution requires that before the Presidential and General Elections take place this October, a national census must be conducted to determine the population of the country, while there are legislations that stipulate for voter registration to be conducted to determine the number of eligible voters. None of these critical benchmarks intended to ensure free, fair and transparent elections have been met. If the elections are postponed from October,
Liberia could be plunged in a major constitutional crisis and possibly violence. In keeping with the Liberian Constitution, the tenure of President Weah is to end in January 2024. Would an interim government be installed after Weah’s tenure ends?
After the international community invested billions of dollars to end the war and restore Liberia, if there were any outbreak of violence in that country again, Liberia might be abandoned by the international community. I recall how thousands of soldiers and civilians from fellow West African countries spilled their blood and exhausted their meager resources through the ECOWAS sub-regional bloc to end Liberia’s civil war. And I also recall how the United States, along with the United Nations and other international partners, invested billions of dollars to redevelop Liberia since the war. They have done their best for Liberia and its people. It is left with Liberians to build upon the post-war gains or drag the country back into violence and destruction.
To conclude, as we reflect on the life of Patrick, let us also focus on the need to empower young people so as to enable them to aspire to the highest of their potentials. Patrick was always prepared to teach and mentor young journalists, just as others supported him during his formative years.
Accordingly, we herewith recommend to the LBS Management to reinstitute the School Special program and name it in memory of Patrick K. Manjoe. Just as Patrick, myself, and others got an opportunity to find a professional path through the program, there are many young talents that could be discovered and developed.
We want to applaud ALJA for honoring Patrick for his services when he was alive. And appreciation is in order to Dr. Alex Redd, who conducted the interview titled, “Reflection of Patrick Manjoe’s Journalistic Legacy,” in which Patrick narrated his own life story.
May the soul of Patrick, and the souls of all the departed colleagues, rest in peace. Amen!